Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe claimed Thursday that former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida ācouldnāt get hired by the FBIā when asked about the former congressmanās nomination as attorney general.
President-elect Donald Trump named Gaetz as his choice for attorney general Wednesday evening, after naming Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as secretary of state and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. McCabe claimed Gaetz was āwholly unqualifiedā to be attorney general during an appearance on āCNN This Morning.ā
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āI think the first thing that really impresses me, is what it says about Donald Trumpās intention for the Justice Department and the FBI,ā McCabe told host Kasie Hunt. āMatt Gaetz is obviously wholly unqualified for this job. Heās someone who, I mean, quite frankly, couldnāt get hired by the FBI had he ever been interested in that, which Iām sure he never was. Probably couldnāt qualify for a clearance. Matt Gaetz has, by his own statements, some of those you just played, no interest in the FBI or the Department of Justice, no respect for the work that they do or for the people that do that work.ā
The Biden administration Justice Department announced in September 2022 that it declined to charge Gaetz in connection with an alleged sex trafficking incident. A House Ethics Committee report on the matter was due to be released Friday, but Gaetzās resignation from the House will end the probe.
McCabe was fired as deputy director of the FBI in 2018 following an inspector generalās report that accused him of lying about leaks to the media, but the firing was reversed in 2021 following a legal settlement.
āHe is singularly a disruptor. He is someone whoās been selected because of his interest and desire to go into the organization and tear things apart, you know, likely get rid of people, stop doing a lot of the work that the Justice Department is currently doing,ā McCabe claimed. āWeāve spent a lot of months debating whether or not Donald Trump actually means the things he says about the Department of Justice and the FBI, whether heās actually going to try to really dismantle those organizations in a serious way. I think the selection of Matt Gaetz is a clear indication of how ā just how squarely he intends to do that.ā
The Justice Department came under fire for targeting opponents of the Biden administration including Attorney General Merrick Garlandās October 2021 memo involving parents who spoke out at school board meetings against critical race theory and sexually explicit content in school curricula. The Justice Department also faces allegations it was becoming politicized in cases involving multiple indictments of Trump and the pursuit of pro-life advocates.
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said Wednesday that some Republican senators were astonished by Gaetzās appointment, adding that he saw their ājaws dropping to the floor.ā
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